Cumberland Township near Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The George Spangler Farm Civil War Hospital Site
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
1. The George Spangler Farm Civil War Hospital Site Marker
About the George Spangler Farm
The George Spangler Farm Civil War Hospital Site is one of the most intact Civil War field hospitals used during the battle of Gettysburg. When George Spangler bought the farm in 1848, he had no idea that civil war would erupt thirteen years later and destroy his farmland and crops. For five weeks, from July to August 1863, his family’s homestead was occupied by the Union army’s Eleventh Corps who utilized the buildings and fields as a hospital for some 1,900 wounded Union and Confederate soldiers.
Throughout the years, the Spangler farm has witnessed many changes. Although you can now walk in the footsteps of the Spangler family and soldiers who were treated here, a great deal of work has been done to turn back the years and reveal the property as it was in 1863. The legacy of the George Spangler Farm has been secured through generous donations to the Gettysburg Foundation. The task now is to write the next chapter in the farm’s history and ensure its preservation for centuries to come. As you reflect on the stories of the many people who shaped the history of this place, please consider joining the effort to preserve and rehabilitate this historic site for future generations.
Erected 2014 by Gettysburg
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Science & Medicine • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.
Location. 39° 48.089′ N, 77° 13.217′ W. Marker is near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. It is in Cumberland Township. Marker can be reached from Blacksmith Shop Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the George Spangler Farm. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Farm Transformed by War (within shouting distance of this marker); A Hospital Under Fire (within shouting distance of this marker); The Trademark of Craftsmen (within shouting distance of this marker); Armistead Death Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Well, Look What We Found! (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Temporary Resting Place (about 300 feet away); A Family Who Would Not Leave Their Home (about 300 feet away); Food Preservation of the Past (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.
More about this marker. A photograph on the bottom of the marker shows the George Spangler Farm in the 1890s.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
2. The George Spangler Farm Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
3. Marker on the George Spangler Farm
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
4. Barn at the George Spangler Farm
Enlisted men who were wounded during the Battle of Gettysburg were treated in this barn.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
5. The George Spangler Farm House and Summer Kitchen
Officers were treated in the house and out kitchen at the George Spangler Farm. One of several witness trees located on the farm can be seen in the center of the photo.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 17, 2014
6. Summer Kitchen
Confederate General Lewis Armistead died in this building on July 5, after being wounded during Pickett's Charge two days earlier. Others treated here include Brig. Gen. Francis Barlow, Capt. Fred Stowe (son of Harriet Beecher Stowe) and Pvt. George Nixon (great grandfather of Pres. Richard Nixon).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 650 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 19, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
